Pub food ideas: 7 ways with takeaways
1. Middle Eastern promise
Paul Whitfield, tenant at Enterprise lease the Bugle Inn, in Botley, Hampshire, found that his Lebanese chef’s authentic weekend dishes went down so well that he now employs another to provide Lebanese dishes all week alongside pub classics — and extends the offer to include a Lebanese takeaway. “More pubs offer takeaway options, but our Lebanese takeaway from 6pm to 9pm on Monday to Saturday gives us a point of difference,” says Whitfield. “Mixed grill is one of our most popular dishes. It’s important to wrap meals properly, so it’s worth investing in the right bags,” he advises.
2. Hot to trot
Ember Inns is Mitchells & Butlers’ most recent brand to offer a food takeaway service. Ember brand operations director Martin Gosling says: “Around 90% of our guests come from within a two-mile radius of our pubs and our current food menu is priced competitively against many takeaway shops. By placing popular dishes such as steak & Timothy Taylor ale pie on our Ember takeaway menu, we’re creating another reason to visit. Customers pop in and order at the bar and enjoy a drink while waiting. When they’re ready to leave, we box up their hot meal. What further excuse do people need to walk to their local to buy dinner?”
3. Get it while you can
At Greene King tenancy the Star in Dorking, Surrey, licensee Ian Renshaw is a big fan of good beer and live arts, including music, and encourages customers to buy takeaways from venues other than the pub. In a website poem, this home of the ‘Cultural Conspiracy’ arts movement publicises its generous attitude towards customers bringing in meals bought elsewhere, calling it a ‘clever way of cheating’. Customers can bring lunchtime snacks purchased at the café next door or use the Star’s phone to call nearby Italian, Chinese or Indian takeaway outlets in the evening. The Star supplies the plates and cutlery.
4. Racking up some tasty treats
Gourmet burgers and full racks of ribs to take away keep business brisk at the Kings Arms in Tooley Street, Southwark, south-east London, a pub owned by Greene King and leased to Butler’s Wharf Pub Company in partnership with Cattle Grid. Manager Richard Crabtree says: “We’re close to Tower Bridge and our bid to attract commuters on their way home by offering tasty takeaways is proving lucrative. Pubs close to the City tend to be much quieter at weekends, so takeaways optimise our midweek offerings. Many customers return on Sundays when they have
more time to savour full racks of ribs on our à la carte menu.”
5. Party time at the Lamb
Freehouse the Lamb Inn in Rusper, West Sussex, offers ‘Pick Up A Party’ — a dinner-party range of dishes freshly prepared to reheat at home. The dishes are priced per portion, with a minimum order of four per item. The Lamb also makes frozen ready-meals for sale in the pub and in an off-licence run by colleague Dan Palmer in Ringmer, near Lewes, East Sussex. Chef-patron Chris Durnin says: “Our microwaveable takeaway meals are sold from our freezer and in Dan’s off-licence. To keep our carbon footprint low, our Ringmer-based butcher delivers the takeaways to his shop. They’re particularly popular in autumn and winter and include chicken stew with black pudding, squash & cashew curry, and desserts.”
6. Pattie time in Battersea
At south London’s Battersea Bar, managed by County Estate Pubs and run by Carlos Wilson and Sandra Williams, affordable Caribbean and British takeaways are available alongside an extensive eat-in menu. Patties (£1.30) are particular favourites, in five varieties: beef, lamb, chicken, saltfish and vegetable. Williams explains: “Every day — even in snowy weather — we barbecue takeaway food in front of the pub. Oxtail, rice and peas and jerk chicken and pork, as well as burgers, are always in demand, and we also offer takeaway sandwiches and other snacks.”
7. Box it with Brakes
Offering all-day takeaway options can enable hosts to boost footfall, maximise sales, and take advantage of passing trade otherwise lost to high-street competitors, such as cafés, supermarkets and sandwich shops. Later in the evening, they can help operators compete with fast-food outlets and increase dwell time. Brakes has introduced snack boxes to help pubs meet demand for lunchtime and evening grab-and-go options. Packed in New York-style takeaway boxes and available in six flavours, the range includes chicken tikka masala with rice, meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta, and chilli con carne with rice, which can be ready to serve in under five minutes in the microwave.
